FAIR USE Act aims to clarify copyright limitsNews & Analysis 2/28/2007 Post a commentCalling the fair use rights of consumers of digital media "severely threatened," two congressmen on Tuesday introduced the Freedom And Innovation Revitalizing U.S. Entrepreneurship Act of 2007 (FAIR USE Act) to restore balance to copyright law.

Voltage supervisors provide 26 programmable trip pointsProduct News 2/28/2007 Post a commentIntersil introduced two voltage supervisor ICs, the ISL88016 and ISL88017, which offer 26 pin-selectable voltage trip points along with functions including power-on reset (POR) control, supply voltage supervision, and manual reset assertion in a small 6-pin TSOT package. Both devices are designed for low power consumption as well as accuracy in portable and battery-powered applications.

10 Gigabit Ethernet ATCA switch separates control and data planesProduct News 2/28/2007 Post a commentDiversified Technology introduced the ATS1936, an AdvancedTCA board that can be used as hub, node or mesh enabled board. It complies with PICMG 3.0 R2.0 ECN002 and PICMG 3.1 Option 1 and Option 9 and implements 2 separate switched networks on a single pc board. By separating the Base and Fabric networks, the ATS1936 provides a separate control plane and data plane.

MOSFETs improve power efficiencyProduct News 2/28/2007 Post a commentToshiba has expanded its power semiconductor line with the first products in a new family of high-speed switching MOSFETs that are said to significantly improve power efficiency for synchronous DC/DC converters.

Envox Worldwide Introduces Envox 7News & Analysis 2/28/2007 Post a commentThe system aims to offer a new development
platform that can handle all types of voice, video and text
communications, with the goal of reducing the cost and
complexity of communications solutions within the contact center.

Update: German industry concerned by Galileo infightingNews & Analysis 2/28/2007 Post a commentThree German industry associations - Bitkom, BDI and TelematicsPro - have called on the German government to press ahead with the Galileo navigation satellite system during the present German EU council presidency. The industry groups are concerned that the launch of the Galileo system could be delayed further.

Incap buys manufacturing unit in IndiaNews & Analysis 2/28/2007 Post a commentFinnish electronics contract manufacturer Incap Corp. and India-based TVS Electronic Ltd announced they have signed a letter of intent on the acquisition of a TVS Electronics' manufacturing unit in Tumkur, near Bangalore (India). No financial details have been released.

Analyst: 3G spectrum to remain more expensive than WiMAXNews & Analysis 2/28/2007 Post a commentWiMAX spectrum is set to get more expensive as regulators in different countries start releasing lower frequencies to be used for the mobile version of the broadband access technology. The prediction, from analysis group Pyramid Research, comes in a report that also suggests 3G cellullar spectrum will remain significantly more expensive for operators than mobile WiMAX.

Incap buys manufacturing unit in IndiaNews & Analysis 2/28/2007 Post a commentFinnish electronics contract manufacturer Incap Corp. and India-based TVS Electronic Ltd announced they have signed a letter of intent on the acquisition of a TVS Electronics' manufacturing unit in Tumkur, near Bangalore (India). No financial details have been released.

DC/DC boost converter supplies 5-V at 900-mAProduct News 2/28/2007 Post a commentSupplying up to 4.5W of power, AnalogicTech's ATT1210 step-up converter for small portable applications takes a single-cell Lithium-ion battery and boosts it to a 5V/900-mA output in a total solution less than 1-mm in height.

Judge stays Nokia, Qualcomm patent suitNews & Analysis 2/28/2007 Post a commentResolution of one of the long running IPR issues between Nokia Corp. and Qualcomm Inc. has been delayed again as a judge halted legal proceedings just as a deadline neared for the two companies to renew an agreement.

Analysts divided as SanDisk targets CENews & Analysis 2/28/2007 Post a commentAmid questions about royalties from Samsung Electronics, embattled SanDisk told analysts earlier this week that the company plans to place emphasis on being a vertically integrated consumer electronics supplier, according to sources who attended the company's analyst day. Analysts appear divided on the wisdom of the strategy.

Dialog Semi struggles for a new chanceNews & Analysis 2/28/2007 Post a commentAfter refocusing on power management and audio products in its FY 2006, Dialog Semiconductor (Kirchheim/Teck, Germany), saw revenues plunge 45 percent. In order to emphasize its new strategy, the company now is launching a design center in Edinburgh, Scotland.

VDSL standard needed, says AT&TNews & Analysis 2/28/2007 Post a commentAT&T is calling for interoperability standards in VDSL and developing a new class of low-loss splitters as two steps forward in home networking where it is a proponent of technology from the Home Phoneline Networking Association.